BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Arielle]

You might be interested i this then> cross the AMs to the regular brown eggs-- you will get med olive colors. I have a Blue AMeracana in a pen of brown eggers of various hues, to get a variety in the hue of the olives. ANother egg I find interesting is a dark RIR egg covered in the marans special paint. Haven't tried the very pale pink tan of the SS to a blue egger-- could be a lovley pastel olive green, IDK for sure. But PRobably.

 

[gjensen]

I like Welsummers. I like the size of the bird for what they have to offer, and I think they are good looking birds. I see them as a practical, low maintenance option.

 

[Fentress]

Has anyone tried making a homemade plucker?

I've considered making something like this.
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/ez_plucker.html

I have heard of the Wiz Bang Plucker, which migh be a kit, that you assemble, I am not sure, but I would check it out. The EZ Plucker is a lot less expensive than the Featherman Pro. Does anyone know if it is any good? Got to get a plucker!!!!!

 

[Turk Raphael]

You might be interested i this then> cross the AMs to the regular brown eggs-- you will get med olive colors. I have a Blue AMeracana in a pen of brown eggers of various hues, to get a variety in the hue of the olives. ANother egg I find interesting is a dark RIR egg covered in the marans special paint. Haven't tried the very pale pink tan of the SS to a blue egger-- could be a lovley pastel olive green, IDK for sure. But PRobably.

Arielle, I see you and others have so many breeds and I think gjensen too...how in the world can you manage so many breeds at once? We will slaughter the Dark Cornish that are soon to arrive, this fall and will just deal with Buckeyes. We have the space but it just seems like it would take so much time to manage so many breeds. My hat is doffed to all who can pull it off!

As for chicken pluckers, I have a very good one, currently watching game shows on TV...

 

[gjensen]

I only have two breeds. I am interested in many, but only have two.

New Hampshires is my "first love", and I decided to locate and try to do something with Catalanas. There are only two other people trying to do something with them (Catalanas), that I know of.

Because of some misc. circumstances, it is a possibility that I end up keeping only one of them.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THese are the birds I started with when I wanted better birds than just hatchery.I started with a batch of hatchery lers and then ran into Robert BLosl. THe birds that you see listed are the birds next birds that I dabbled with after the pure hatchery stock. . I don't claim that they are great birds. THe marans are a difficult bird and I don't see the meat characteristics I would like, but they have a pretty shell color , good foragers, good temperaments, so I breed them for shell color and TRY to follow the SOP. I expect some strains are better than others. The SS are hatchery stock mostly. Again I love the extreme foraging ability, the color and the very friendly hens. Reliable eggs layers. Working on understanding type and color balance. BO-- broody girls, love the gold, the boys add to the interest around here, good layers. Two hens are stuffed in a box managing a clutch of eggs. I don't consider any of these breeder quality stock, or SQ. Just good layers that are fun to work with-- Good as layers. NOT meat birds.

ANd not SQ, not high quality breeder birds.

As for turkeys, All turkeys will be phased out except the Bourbon Reds.
So really the only high quality birds I have are the buckkeyes. ANd the sulmtalers. Meat and meat.

 

[Turk Raphael]

THese are the birds I started with when I wanted better birds than just hatchery.I started with a batch of hatchery lers and then ran into Robert BLosl. THe birds that you see listed are the birds next birds that I dabbled with after the pure hatchery stock. . I don't claim that they are great birds. THe marans are a difficult bird and I don't see the meat characteristics I would like, but they have a pretty shell color , good foragers, good temperaments, so I breed them for shell color and TRY to follow the SOP. I expect some strains are better than others. The SS are hatchery stock mostly. Again I love the extreme foraging ability, the color and the very friendly hens. Reliable eggs layers. Working on understanding type and color balance. BO-- broody girls, love the gold, the boys add to the interest around here, good layers. Two hens are stuffed in a box managing a clutch of eggs. I don't consider any of these breeder quality stock, or SQ. Just good layers that are fun to work with-- Good as layers. NOT meat birds.

ANd not SQ, not high quality breeder birds.

As for turkeys, All turkeys will be phased out except the Bourbon Reds.
So really the only high quality birds I have are the buckkeyes. ANd the sulmtalers. Meat and meat.

We just 'did in' the last and I mean the very last of the turkeys we will ever own and they were Bourbon Reds. They just produce too much meat for us and we both like chicken much better.

Is there a slight chance you might post some pics of your Budkeyes?

 

[gjensen]

I have heard of the Wiz Bang Plucker, which migh be a kit, that you assemble, I am not sure, but I would check it out. The EZ Plucker is a lot less expensive than the Featherman Pro. Does anyone know if it is any good? Got to get a plucker!!!!!

I can't speak of them. We have always used the team approach with the family. We have gotten where we can move through them pretty quick.

 

[ronott1]

@hellbender

I am waiting for the video, unless I missed it. Was it approved?

Also, Is tomorrow the day you leave?

Best!

 

[BCMaraniac]

@hellbender

I am waiting for the video, unless I missed it. Was it approved?

Also, Is tomorrow the day you leave?

Best!

X2!!